Photo: Joey Kennedy Photography
Having an outdoor wedding may seem like a great way to celebrate your love of nature and put a fresh spin on a traditional wedding. But before you say “I do” and dance the night away underneath the stars, you need to do your research about outdoor weddings — and how to handle the potential issues that may arise. Here are five things no one tells you about outdoor weddings (so that you can be prepared!).
1. It’s going to get hot.
Whether you decide to have your outdoor wedding in the middle of winter or you rent a tent to protect you from the summer heat wave, it’s going to get hot. When people are spending the night close to one another — let alone breaking it down on the dance floor, body temperatures will be hotter than usual. Be sure to give guests fans if possible, and also consider having an indoor spot or lounge tent they can take a breather in if they need some refreshing between dances.
2. Bugs are a given.
Outdoor weddings mean that your number one wedding crasher may be uninvited bugs. As a precautionary measure, be sure to have cans of bug spray available — and even chat with the outdoor venue to see if they can spray the property beforehand. Another great way to avoid bugs is to purchase fans, which can be turned on to blow air throughout the space, helping to keep the airflow moving throughout the night.
3. You may have more wedding crashers than normal.
Since you’re doing your wedding outdoors, blocking off the property from the general public may be difficult. This is especially true if the wedidng is taking place at a public beach or park. There are a few options when it comes to this conundrum: Find a way to barricade the area, hire security, or just accept the fact that you may have a few crashers that want to partake in all the fun!
4. Dirt will be everywhere.
You’re spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on the wedding dress of your dreams and a pair of shoes, and of course you want to keep them looking pristine. However, being outside in the elements will definitely take its toll on your ensemble. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about this besides have a backup pair of shoes and a Tide stick on hand. Ultimately, if you’re having an outdoor wedding, it’s important to be at peace with the fact that at the end of the night, your dress and shoes may be black instead of white.
5. Remember to have a bad weather back-up plan.
While you can control many things during the planning process, weather is never one of them. So if you’re going to do your wedding outdoors, have a viable and easy bad weather back-up plan. No one can truly predict what will happen hours — or even minutes — before it’s time to walk down the aisle, so make sure that you have a location that you can fall back on if the weather gets out of hand.
See More: How to Have an Outdoor Winter Wedding Ceremony
Jen Glantz is a “Professional Bridesmaid” and the founder of Bridesmaid for Hire. She’s the author of All My Friends Are Engaged and frequently wears old bridesmaid dresses to the grocery store and on first dates.